Portrait of Tyra Hasselblatt 1910

Magnus Enckell painted this portrait of Tyra Hasselblatt in 1920, and it’s like he’s captured her in a pastel dream. There’s a real tenderness in the way he’s approached the colours. Enckell uses these gentle strokes, like he’s layering whispers of colour, especially in the background, which feels both there and not there. It's fascinating how he builds up the image through these soft touches. The paint isn't thick or showy; instead, it’s modest, almost shy. Look at the way he's painted Tyra’s face. The brushwork around her eyes and mouth is so delicate, as if he’s trying to capture not just her likeness but something of her spirit. You can almost see her thinking, pondering something just out of our view. It puts me in mind of Vuillard, who also had a way of making portraits feel so intimate and psychologically charged. With Enckell you sense that art is never really finished, it just keeps evolving and transforming.